Translational Research in Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms

The goal of our laboratory is to provide a deeper understanding of our everyday thought processes and of how those processes go awry in mental illness and addiction. The ultimate purpose of this research is to reduce suffering in the world. To achieve this goal, the TRiCAM laboratory uses methods from experimental psychology, neuroimaging and genetics to explore how thought and emotion work together in framing our experience of the world.

The TRiCAM laboratory has three programs of research.

There are a few ways to get involved: join the lab as a graduate student, as an undergraduate student, or participate as a study participant!

TRiCAM Commitment to Social Justice

Translational research in our laboratory does not stop at the level of the individual, but extends to the mental health of the community broadly, and the systems that impact mental health. As such, the TRiCAM laboratory is committed to equity and social justice in the questions we pursue, the funding we seek, the data we collect and the participants we recruit, the ways we interact with participants and in the interpretation of our findings. 

Within our laboratory, we work to foster an atmosphere where scholars from diverse backgrounds feel supported, where challenging conversations can occur and where transgressions can be addressed and mended successfully.

The TRiCAM laboratory studies biological factors that contribute to cognitive functioning and mental health. We must be mindful, as these are questions that biological essentialists can exploit for a racist agenda. We are committed to exploring these questions in a manner that is respectful of human life in all its diversity, including racial and ethnic background, nationality, sex and gender, sexual orientation or transgender status, financial status and class, religion, veteran status, disability, age or mental status.